Recorded by satellite 166 days ago.
A thermal anomaly is a snapshot of one satellite pass, not a record of a fire’s life: we cannot say whether it kept burning after that pass.
It is the 2nd strongest of the 8 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 17 March 2026. The last comparable one was on 17 March 2026. One more was recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NASA FIRMS (VIIRS) reported 39 fire pixels with a combined fire radiative power of 769 MW, at nominal confidence, 22 km from Kenema.
The 39 pixels cover about 5.5 km² — that is the footprint of the detection grid at 375 m resolution, not an estimate of how much land burned.
FIRMS does not report burned area, and neither do we.
An estimated 51,755 people live within 35 km of this point.
Nearby, since 17 March 2026
- March 19, 2026 · score 81 · 9.7 km
- March 20, 2026 · score 62 · 18.9 km
- May 14, 2026 · score 39 · 20.8 km
How we know
One source: NASA FIRMS (VIIRS). Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 71 out of 100, at 84 % confidence.
The score is ours, computed from intensity, exposed population and local history — not the source’s.
Event Data
| Type | Wildfire |
| Severity | critical |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 71 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 84% |
| Coordinates | 7.8733, -11.3928 |
| Nearest City | Kenema (22 km) |
| Population Exposed | 51.8K within 35 km |
| Impact Tier | severe |
| Timestamp | 2026-03-18T13:40:00.000Z |
| Source | https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@-11.393,7.873,9z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Brightness | 356.33 |
| Frp | 769.38 |
| PixelCount | 39 |
| Confidence | nominal |
Cascade Risks
Safety Information
If a wildfire is approaching: follow evacuation orders immediately. Do not wait to see the fire. Close all windows and doors, remove combustible materials from around your home, and have an emergency go-bag ready. Air quality can deteriorate rapidly even at distance from the fire front — monitor local air quality advisories.
Series begins 10 February 2026. Comparisons refer to that period only. Collection gap: 14-26 August 2026.
This data is aggregated algorithmically from scientific sources. Not a replacement for official emergency warnings.
Want to know when something happens near Kenema?
Calamity.live data shows a fire event with CalamityScore 71/100, near Kenema (Sierra Leone), based on data from firms. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 187 scientific monitoring sources.